The Vigo County Soccer Association in Terre Haute, IN is where it all began for yours truly. The Oberlander Soccer team of 1982 (Ray Ferrera photo).
“Another day, another dollar” is a phase that’s often used to emphasize an ordinary day. The summer vacation after two weeks in has just become that. Aside from some regional AAU, USATF Youth, local running club road races, or summer cross country training nothing much has been going on.
Soccer is where it all began-
Last week I shared with you some of the things that I have been doing in this dead period. Well I have finished watching all of the latest reality TV episodes such as “Love and Hip Hop Atlanta” and “R&B Divas.” I perused the History Channel to partake in their wonderful World War II series in Color. And I also took in some World Cup Soccer.
Ahh yes soccer! Watching the World Cup uninterrupted got me thinking about the #1 sport in the world. Forget the fact that it has in mode here in the states since its true inception back in the 1860s. I even had to dismiss the haters out there proclaiming the sport as a novelty act that only comes around every four years. However, if there is one that I noticed about soccer is the athletes. There is no doubt in my mind that soccer players are among the best conditioned specimens on planet Earth. As a track and field coach I have no problem in taking soccer defects. The majority of players that I’ve coached are equipped with tremendous motor skills as well as speed and strength. Three of the four guys that ran on my 7:39 All-American 4x800m relay team were former soccer players.
I played a lot of sports growing up in Florida and Indiana as a youth. Although I eventually excelled in baseball and track, it was soccer that first gave me the courage to become good at athletics. My mother enrolled me in the local youth soccer association in 1982 near the end of my 7th grade year. At the time I was a very shy kid in social settings, but as I began to standout and build upon my God given talents I really loved the sport. At the end of the season, I was invited to compete in the league’s 14 and under travel squad. Unfortunately I had visions of being an NFL wide receiver. Two years later and a freshman season of sitting on the bench and only playing sparingly on special teams, my dream of becoming the next Lynn Swann (former Pittsburgh Steelers great) was shattered. Although track and field is my life sport now I credit soccer for introducing me formally to sports. Go USA!